58 hay bales lost, But defensible space saves home

Blaze claims 58 hay bales, but nearby home protected

By Christopher Quirk - Morgan Hill Times

A fire claimed 58 bales of hay in northwest Gilroy today, but a prepared homeowner kept the fire from spreading to his home.

About 1:33 p.m. today, a fire broke out in a hay field on the east side of Santa Teresa Boulevard, north of its intersection with Day Road. The fire dashed across the field east toward a nearby house, pushed by winds of 13 to 15 mph. However, the flames came to an abrupt stop when they reached the 20-foot dirt ring that homeowner Joe Vogel had created around his property.

Vogel "did an outstanding job for defensible space," said Santa Clara County Fire Battalion Chief Derek Whitmer.

Vogel, who called in the fire, was not worried even as the low, quick flames approached, he said.

"I was concerned, but I didn't think it would (set the house on fire) because there weren't sparks flying," he said as he and his wife, Mona, watched firefighters clean up the burnt area.

The fire scorched between four and five acres, but firefighters surrounded and contained the fire soon after they arrived, Whitmer said. Crews worked into the afternoon, turning over hay bales, dousing fires and bulldozing a perimeter around the burnt hay.

Firefighters planned to finish up by evening, then check back in at night to make certain the fire had not been revived, Whitmer said.

Hay bales sell at between $10 and $15, making the loss due to the fire between $580 and $870, Whitmer said.

Cal Fire, South Clara County Fire and Gilroy Fire Department sent five engines, a water tinder, a bulldozer and several other vehicles to fight the blaze. The first vehicle on scene was a small vehicle from the Santa Clara County Department of Roads and Transportation, which sprayed down the fire to keep it in check before firefighters arrived, Whitmer said.

Source: morganhilltimes.com - Link
Photo Source: Morgan Hill Times Staff